Embodiments of the disclosure relate generally to superconducting magnet systems and a cooling assembly, and more particularly to superconducting magnet systems including a cooling assembly.
Superconducting magnet systems having relatively large energies are currently used in many applications. For example, superconducting magnet systems, storing energies of up to 15M Joules, are constructed for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) systems which are now routinely used in large numbers in clinical environments for medical imaging. A part of such an MRI system is a superconducting magnet system for generating a uniform magnetic field. The superconducting magnet systems also can be utilized in other systems, such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) systems, accelerators, transformers, generators, motors, superconducting magnet energy storages (SMES) and so on.
Superconducting magnets conduct electricity without resistance as long as maintained at a suitably low temperature, which is referred to as “superconducting temperature” hereinafter. Accordingly, cryogenic systems are used to ensure that the superconducting magnets work at the superconducting temperature. Heat transfer efficiency is very important for superconducting magnets. The cryogenic systems include cooling tubes carrying cryogen therethrough to cool coil formers. In one conventional superconducting magnet system, the cooling tubes are welded on the coil former and welded to each other on the coil former. Welding material in welding seam between the cooling tubes and the coil former transforms from liquid to solid during welding that results in distortion of the coil former. And about twelve or more joints between the cooling tubes should be welded on the coil former. It is difficult to handle the joints of the cooling tubes in different sub-assemblies during welding. After welding, all of the joints are helium-tight tested on the coil former one by one to make sure all the joints are helium-tight, and a pressure-tight test is also required to detect if the cooling tubes are leak. Moreover, leaking points are difficult to be repaired which are found in the tests.
It is desirable to provide a solution to address at least one of the above-mentioned problems.